Scholarships were
awarded to a total of 12 universities and colleges including Karakoram
International University, Government College of Education Gilgit (Male),
Elementary College of Gilgit (Female), Regional Institute for Teacher Education
(RITE) Female Abbottabad, RITE Female Peshawar, University of Peshawar, Hazara
University, Elementary College of Education Hussainabad (Male), Elementary
College of Education Hyderabad (Female), University of Punjab, Government
College of Elementary Teachers (GCET) Faisalabad and GCET Dera Ghazi Khan. The
newly-introduced ADE and BEd (Hons) programmes have been a collaborative effort
between the provincial departments of education and the Higher Education
Commission (HEC), with support provided through its USAID-funded Pre-Step in
Pakistan.

The ADE programme is designed to be offered in four semesters
whereas the BEd (Hons) programme will cover eight semesters. This will be a
significant change from the annual system followed by RITEs, and the hybrid
annual/semester system followed by some universities in Pakistan. The
scholarships will provide support for up to two years to complete an ADE
programme and up to four years for BEd (Hons) at the piloting Usaid/Pre-STEP
partner institutions that will lead to a qualification that meets the academic
requirements for employment as a teacher in public schools.

These
scholarships were awarded to pre-service teachers on merit basis. The criteria
for scholarship required the recipients to be citizens of Pakistan, obtain at
least 60 per cent marks in FA/FSC, pass the scholarship entrance test, and have
85 per cent attendance in ADE/BEd classes with a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA per
semester. Scholarships valued at Rs20,000 per student per semester have been
distributed at the conclusion of the first semester of the ADE/BEd programmes.
Pre-STEP is a US$75 million USAID-funded programme working in collaboration with
the Ministry of Education and HEC to improve the quality of basic education in
Pakistan by strengthening teachers' education and teaching skills. The programme
directly impacts new as well as practicing teachers by helping them to gain
revised and upgraded teacher qualifications. Pre-STEP collaboratively builds
upon the existing structures and programmes in Pakistan and supports 15
universities and 75 teacher colleges as instruments for change of academic
standards in teacher education. The news

Your Comments
"As BC scholarship opens for applications, I was waiting for long for this, plz guide me how to apply as soon as possible. please do contact me on my email... best regards"
Name: khawaja azam
Email: zm_khawaja@yahoo.com
City, Country:Lahore, Pakistan

BC scholarship opens for applications
Islamabad: British Council Chevening Scholarship opens for applications for the
year 2011-12 the programme is funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and
administered by the British Council that enables overseas students to study in
the United Kingdom.

Scholarships are offered in over 150 countries and enable
talented graduates and young professionals to become familiar with the UK and
gain skills that will benefit their countries. They enable future leaders,
decision-makers, and opinion formers from around the world to become familiar
with the UK, to gain new skills, or update current professional skills. The
ultimate objective is to benefit their countries upon their return.

The
Chevening programme currently provides around 2,300 new scholarships each year
for postgraduate studies or research at UK institutions of higher education. In
Pakistan scholarships are awarded to Pakistani nationals of high intellectual
ability who will play a formative role in Pakistan's development. Pakistani
applicants for Chevening scholarships can apply online for the following
subjects: security and counter-terrorism, governance and democracy, economic
growth, regional stability and conflict resolution, media and
communications.

The scholarships are for one year taught postgraduate study
in the UK and cover the full cost of study in the UK.

The applicants are
required to have a masters' degree or a four-year bachelors degree from any
recognised university in Pakistan or the equivalent from an overseas
institution. They must have a minimum of three years of work experience. They
must be Pakistani citizens. Dual nationals are not eligible. They must not have
received in the past three years any British government funded academic award.
Last date for submission of forms is Monday, March 21, 2011. The nation

RIU's youth festival from 21st
Islamabad: Riphah International University is holding a festival from March 21 to 25 in its
Islamabad and Rawalpindi campuses.

The event called Riphah Youth Festival
will bring together people from different walks of life including students,
teachers, parents, corporate sector, multinational companies and general
public.

The events include games, competitions, poster exhibition, book
fair and job fair.

The job fair will be held on March 24, at Al-Mizan
campus, 274 Peshawar Road Rawalpindi. It will give an opportunity to the
students and young graduates from Riphah International University and other
educational institutions to have an interaction with the professionals and
industry and business.

Another special function will be held on March 23
at the main campus of Riphah International University in Sector I-14, Islamabad,
to highlight the importance of Pakistan Day. The students will adopt a
resolution on the occasion expressing the determination of the youth to build
future Pakistan as envisaged by the founders of the country seventy years
ago.

The youth festival will conclude on March 25 with a special evening
and alumni gathering at Al-Mizan campus Rawalpindi. The news

Students protest release of Davis
Islamabad: International Islamic University Students Wednesday protested release of a US national Raymond Davis,
after victims' families had allegedly patched up the matter for blood money.
They blocked Kashmir highway near G-10 signal for 2 hours.

The Protest
was led by Islami Jamiat Talbha and was attended by a large number of students
who carried placards and banners inscribed with slogans against the USA.

Saudi Arabia to assist IIUI constructing another mosque
Islamabad: Relations between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are a great precedent to the whole world and are above
geographical boundaries and divides, said Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan
Abd-ul-Aziz Bin Ibrahim Al-Ghadeer at a seminar on "Depth of Pak-Saudi
Friendship" organised by International Islamic University (IIUI) on Wednesday.
He pledged that his country would assist IIUI in constructing a grand mosque at
university's new campus in H-10.

Saudi envoy boasted of historical
account of relations between the two countries. Soon after the creation of
Pakistan, deep bi-lateral relations were established that were strengthened more
and more over decades, said the envoy. He mentioned the visits of late Saudi
kings to Pakistan that further strengthened the bilateral ties.

Saudi
envoy added that Saudi people as well as government always stood by their
Pakistani brethren especially in the hour of need and mentioned Saudi assistance
during 2005 earthquake and 2010 floods. "Saudis under the leadership of their
King and the Custodian of two Harams Abdullah Ibn-e-Abdul Aziz dispatched
hundreds of cargo planes to Pakistan with humanitarian assistance. It was a
religious duty to help human beings in trouble", he said.

Dean Faculty
of Shariah and Law Dr. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq and Dean Faculty of Basic and Applied
Sciences Dr. Muhammad Riaz spoke on the occasion and thanked Saudi rulers for
their continued support to Pakistan.

The Ambassador called on the Rector
Prof. Fateh Muhammad Malik who briefed him the Saudi envoy on the university and
its activities over last 25 years. Prof. Malik said that Saudi Arabia was always
helpful to the university and played a very vital role in its development. The
Saudi Ambassador promised to provide assistance to the university for
constructing a grand mosque at its new campus and for hiring faculty members.
IIUI souvenirs and shields were presented to the Saudi dignitary while sets of
Saudi publications on assistance to Pakistan were presented to the Rector of the
university by the visiting Saudi envoy. Daily times

Though,
many institutions have their own pick and drop arrangements, it is not
sufficient to facilitate all.

A large number of students coming from out
of the city reach their respective schools and colleges through private
transport, which has become virtually nightmare for them.

"The students
often have to face misconduct by the private transporters who often prefer not
to lift them for one or the another reason," said a student Irshad Ali who has
been waiting for transport for half an hour.

The students belonging to
poor community even could not afford going to schools or colleges by private
transport.

Shahid Khan, a school student, said due to financial problems,
he couldn't pay full fare of bus, while transporters were not allowing them
concession.

Transporters always force them to mount on rooftop of the
buses which is risky but their is no alternate option with them, he
added.

Ghulam Jan, a driver of local transport said, "we cannot afford a
large number of students at once because they are always paying half, which
badly affect our business." He said parents and school managements are
responsible to facilitate students with transport.

An official of local
college said that the educational institutions also need funds for repairing the
out-of-order buses and purchasing new ones to ease the misery of their
students.

Federal Directorate of Education Islamabad sources told APP
that FDE has provided 100 buses to various public sector institutions in the
capital to facilitate students.

Ministry of Education stepping back from the issue
Islamabad: With the passage of deadline for the implementation of teachers' package, the Ministry of
Education seems to be stepping back from the issue and using dilly-delaying
tactics to further postpone its implementation.

According to the
well-placed sources, the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) has twice
submitted the file regarding the up-gradation of teachers to the Ministry of
Education, but approval could not be achieved due to one reason or the other.
"We have been doing whatever we could do, but we are not the approving
authority. It is Ministry of Education that is approving authority," said a well
placed official of FDE.

On the other hand Ministry of Education
Additional Secretary Shaigan Shareef Malik while talking to this scribe said
that the issue of up-gradation of teachers was a lengthy procedure and would
take time. "I have never committed to resolve the issue within 20 days," he said
when asked about the passage of deadline.

However, it is pertinent to
mention here that the additional secretary was among those officials of the
ministry who held meeting with the representatives of teachers and asked them to
call off strike while assuring them that the issue would be resolved within 20
days.

The officials of FDE believe that the ball was in the court of
Education Ministry as they have twice submitted the case to Secretary Education
Athar Tahir for approval. "We have been trying to convince teachers that our
hands are clean. It is Ministry of Education who has to decide," he
said.

FDE Director General (DG) Shaheen Khan said
that things were going on positively. "We are very optimistic that the issue
would be resolved within few days," she said.

She said that they offered
teachers to wait for the phase wise implementation of package, but they said
that they want the implementation of all demands at once. "Had they accepted our
proposal, the issue would be resolved much easily," she said.

One of the
teachers requesting anonymity said that the ministry has betrayed the teachers.
"They hushed up the matter for a while when the examinations were about to
start. Now when the exams have been taken, they have stepped back from their
commitment," he said.

He said that there was no point in delaying the
implementation as PM has given the directive, funds have been re appropriated
and finance ministry has given approval. "It's just a matter to issue
notification, but the ministry is reluctant to issue it," he
said.

FGTA President Azhar Awan said that the
decision regarding future strategy would be decided in the general body meeting
to be held tomorrow (Thursday). "We are extremely disappointed by the attitude
of ministry. Whatever we would decide now would be our final decision," he
added. The news